The Sabbath day is a day of rest and worship that God commanded the Israelites to observe. The principle of Sabbath originates in the creation account in Genesis. After six days of creation, God rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2-3). Later, when giving the Ten Commandments to Moses, God commanded the Israelites to “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). The Sabbath was to be observed on the seventh day of the week, corresponding with the day God rested after creation.
There are several key aspects to proper Sabbath observance according to the Bible:
- It is to be kept holy and set apart – The Sabbath day was to be sanctified and dedicated to the Lord (Exodus 20:8). Normal work and occupations were to cease on this day.
- No work is to be done – The Israelites were commanded not to do any regular work or occupations on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:10). This included things like gathering food, plowing fields, and other routine tasks.
- It is a day of rest – God instituted the Sabbath first and foremost for the purpose of rest. The Israelites were to take a complete day of rest from their labor (Exodus 23:12).
- It is a sign of God’s covenant – Keeping the Sabbath was a sign of God’s covenant with the Israelites, identifying them as God’s people (Exodus 31:13-17).
- It is for remembering God’s work – Observing the Sabbath reminded the Israelites that God was their Creator who delivered them from slavery in Egypt (Deuteronomy 5:12-15).
In addition to resting from work, the Sabbath was also a day for God’s people to gather for worship, reflection, and instruction in God’s laws (Leviticus 23:3). Special offerings were to be given on the Sabbath (Numbers 28:9-10). The day was to be one of complete rest, joy and delight (Isaiah 58:13-14).
The Old Testament records God’s instructions for properly observing the Sabbath, along with consequences for failing to keep it. Violations of Sabbath rest were punishable by death (Exodus 31:14-15). However, the Jewish leaders added extensive legalistic rules governing what qualified as “work” that went far beyond what Scripture commands. Jesus often confronted these human traditions that missed the true intent of Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-14).
Most Christians understand the Old Testament laws regarding Sabbath-keeping as having been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. While moral principles behind Sabbath still apply, the strict regulations are seen as part of the Old Covenant that was made obsolete when the New Covenant was instituted by Christ (Hebrews 8:13). The New Testament nowhere commands Christians to strictly observe the Sabbath day. The Sabbath was shadow and prediction of the rest we have in Christ (Colossians 2:16-17).
However, patterns and principles from Sabbath continue under the new covenant:
- Resting from work – Though not commanded, periodic rest from labor is wise and healthy.
- Corporate worship – Gathering with other believers is an integral part of Christian life (Hebrews 10:24-25).
- Remembering Christ’s work – Lord’s Day worship focuses on remembering Christ’s death and resurrection.
So while Sabbath regulations are not binding in the new covenant, worshiping Christ together with his people remains a core part of Christian life. But the emphasis is not on legalistic rules but on worshiping Jesus through the Spirit’s power (John 4:24). The fulfilled intent behind Sabbath continues as we rest in what Christ has accomplished and gather as his body.
In summary, the Sabbath day in the Old Testament was the seventh day of the week set apart as holy and for rest, based on God resting after creation. God commanded the Israelites not to work and to rest, as the Sabbath was a sign of God’s covenant. The day was for remembering God’s work and for worship, sacrifices, and delight in the Lord. Jesus confronted legalistic traditions added to Sabbath regulations. New Testament believers are not commanded to observe the Sabbath day but its principles of rest and corporate worship continue as we remember Christ’s finished work.
The Sabbath day originates back in Genesis at creation, when God rested on the seventh day after working for six days to create the heavens and the earth. “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done” (Genesis 2:2-3). Here we see the pattern of working six days and then taking the seventh day as a special day of rest being instituted by God Himself. The reason God blessed and made holy the seventh day is because He had rested on it.
Later, when God gave Moses and the Israelites the Ten Commandments, He officially commanded the Sabbath day as something His people were to observe. In Exodus 20:8-11 (ESV) God states, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Here we see God instituting the command to observe the Sabbath as official law for His people, tied to His own pattern of working for six days and then resting.
Some key principles are mentioned here about proper observance of the Sabbath day according to God’s command:
- It is to be kept holy and set apart. God repeatedly emphasized the Sabbath was to be a holy day, distinguished from the routine of the rest of the week.
- No work is to be done by the Israelites or anyone in their households, including servants, foreigners, and even animals. Complete rest from occupation and labor was commanded.
- It is based on the pattern of God’s own rest from His labors at creation. As God modeled rest after His creative work, so are the Israelites to rest having labored for six days.
- It is a day blessed and made holy by God. He sanctified and set apart the seventh day.
In several other Old Testament passages, God gives further instruction about proper Sabbath observance:
- Do no work on the Sabbath, it shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord (Exodus 31:14-15).
- The Israelites were not to gather manna from the wilderness on the Sabbath, but to prepare bread the day before instead (Exodus 16:22-30).
- All regular work and occupation was to cease – no plowing, reaping, cooking, travelling, kindling a fire, etc (Exodus 34:21, Exodus 35:2-3).
- No burden was to be carried on the Sabbath (Jeremiah 17:21).
- Business and trading was prohibited (Nehemiah 13:15-22).
- The Sabbath was a sign between God and the Israelites, identifying them as His people (Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:12, 20).
Violation of the Sabbath command brought severe punishment. The Israelites were warned that desecrating the Sabbath could result in being cut off from the people, or even put to death (Exodus 31:14-15). Failure to properly observe Sabbath rest was akin to profaning what God had made holy. However, by Jesus’ day the Jewish religious leaders had developed extensive regulations defining what qualified as “work” which went far beyond what Scripture commanded. Jesus often confronted these added legalistic traditions concerning the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-14).
In addition to resting from work, the Sabbath day was also intended to be a time of gathering for worship, reflection on God’s law, and remembering God’s provision (Leviticus 23:3, Deuteronomy 5:12-15). Sabbath and the reading of the law went hand in hand (Nehemiah 8:1-8). It was to be a day of joy and feasting before the Lord, honoring Him (Isaiah 58:13-14). The Sabbath was when the daily and Sabbath burnt offerings and grain offerings were made at the tabernacle (Numbers 28:9-10). Proper observance of the Sabbath day included both rest and active worship of Yahweh.
The Old Testament indicates Sabbath observance was to be a special sign of the covenant between God and Israel. Exodus 31:13 states, “You are to speak to the Israelites and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you.” Ezekiel 20:12 echoes this, saying “Moreover, I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the LORD made them holy.” Keeping Sabbath rest was a continual reminder to the Israelites that they were God’s chosen, holy people, set apart by Him to represent Him on the earth.
As seen in these verses, understanding the meaning behind Sabbath goes beyond just following a rule. God intended His people to regularly rest and remember all that He is – their holy Creator who delivered them and set them apart as His own. Observing the Sabbath day was to be a cherished sign of their covenant relationship with the Lord.
How do Christians today relate to the Old Testament command to keep the Sabbath? There are diverse views on this. Some continue to believe observing the seventh day Sabbath remains required for Christians. Others see it as fulfilled in Christ and not binding in the new covenant. There are also many views in between these two positions. But there are some helpful principles to consider in thinking through this issue:
- Jesus confronted legalistic Sabbath traditions – Throughout His ministry, Jesus frequently challenged added Pharisaical rules about the Sabbath, emphasizing God’s intent versus strict regulations (Matthew 12:1-14).
- Sabbath foreshadows rest in Christ – The OT Sabbath pointed toward the spiritual rest believers enter into through faith in Christ (Colossians 2:16-17, Hebrews 4:1-11).
- The Apostles gathered on Sunday – Scripture records believers meeting to worship on the day Christ rose from the dead, the first day of the week rather than the last (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2).
- Sabbath fulfillment, not abolition – Moral principles behind Sabbath continue, though the day itself is fulfilled in Christ. Believers still need to rest and gather.
- Not explicitly commanded in NT – While not abolished, Sabbath observance is also not explicitly commanded for Christians in the New Testament.
- Freedom in Christ – Paul teaches that believers should not be judged regarding keeping holy days (Colossians 2:16).
Considering these principles helps us think through how to apply Sabbath. Christians are not under obligation to keep the OT regulations concerning the seventh day. Yet the moral foundation remains as a gift, not a burden. In many ways, the spirit of Sabbath continues under the new covenant as believers in Jesus rest from works and trusted in Him alone, gather to worship Him, and commemorate His resurrection every Sunday.
In summary, while the regulations around seventh day Sabbath observance are not binding legal requirements for Christians, the principles behind Sabbath endure as part of the fulfilled intent we enjoy in Christ. The gift of rest and corporate worship continue, but with the focus on what Christ has accomplished for us. For the believer in Jesus, every day can be lived as a Sabbath rest in what He has done.
The Sabbath day was the highlight of the week for God’s people in the Old Testament. Gathering to worship Yahweh, resting from work, and feasting pointed toward the eternal Sabbath rest awaiting all believers (Hebrews 4:9). While Christians are not commanded to observe the seventh day, the gift of rest and worship continues more fully each Lord’s Day as we celebrate the resurrection and anticipate the final rest to come.
The Sabbath day is rich with meaning and promise throughout Scripture. As a holy day instituted at creation, it celebrates God’s perfect work and rest. For Israel, it memorialized God’s covenant love and might. For Christians, it foreshadows the rest we have in the finished work of Christ. Each Sabbath invitation calls people of all ages to yield anxieties, burdens and striving in order to delight in who God is and what God has done. The blessing of true Sabbath rest and worship awaits all those who enter into it.
In conclusion, the Sabbath day in the Bible originated at creation when God blessed and sanctified the seventh day on which He rested after doing His creative work in six days. Under the Mosaic Law, God commanded Israel to observe the Sabbath day by resting from work and keeping the day holy, pointing to their covenant relationship with Yahweh. Proper observance included gathering for worship, reflection on God’s Word, offerings, and feasting. Jesus confronted legalistic traditions added to the Sabbath that lost sight of God’s heart behind it. Christians are not obligated to keep the Old Testament Sabbath regulations, but the principles of resting from works and gathering for worship continue as believers in Jesus commemorate His resurrection each Sunday, remembering the salvation He accomplished. The spirit of Sabbath endures for the people of God as they rely on Christ’s finished work.